One Kru, One Heda
by RealaCarsona
Summary: After the events of the last episode, the grounders and Skaikru are trapped together in the bunker, and only one person is in charge and calling the shots.
1. Chapter 1

Abby had been furious when she woke up, furious that Kane had gone above her head, but by that time there was nothing to be done. The bunker had been sealed and they were now trapped underground with over a thousand grounders, all of which held a fierce grudge towards the Skaikru.

There was truth to what the protesters had been saying, Skaikru were the only ones who knew how to operate the machinery, but that didn't give them any power. Instead it put them at a disadvantage.

They were being made to work, forced into keeping things running whilst the grounders did… Well no one was entirely sure what they were doing, although they were acting far more civilised than the remaining members of Skaikru had expected them to.

She had gone to speak with them, attempting to figure out who was speaking for the clans, to reason with them for an equal distribution of labour whilst they were trapped underground.

To her surprise, she had recognized the word they used as they pointed her down hallway after hallway.

"Heda." Commander.

She was even more surprised when she finally reached a door at the end of a long corridor, Indra, and another member of Trikru posted outside, although she was slightly surprised it wasn't Octavia on guard duty alongside her mentor.

"I need to speak with your new Commander." She told the warrior, sounding more confident than she felt.

Exchanging a look with the man beside her, Indra seemed to consider before nodding quickly, "Be careful Abby kom Skaikru, it would be unwise to test boundaries right now."

Abby brushed off the warning and stepped into the room, the door swinging shut behind her.

"Octavia?" She questioned, barely believing what she was seeing in front of her.

The girl, no not girl, woman Abby quickly corrected herself, was seated behind a desk, her boot resting on the edge.

"Abby." She greeted coolly as she stood, walking around the piece of furniture to stand in front of the Doctor.

By grounder standards, her clothes made her look like royalty, a long coat fluttering around her feet as she walked. And the scabbard her sword was in was far decorative than the old piece of leather Abby had grown used to seeing her have slung over her shoulder.

And even though they were underground, with no war to currently fight, her face was painted. Lincoln's marks displayed for everyone to see, she looked deadly.

Finally, if that was not enough, a single golden gear rested on her forehead, in the same place it had rested on Lexa's.

"They made you Commander?" Abby asked, still staring at the barely recognizable person in front of her.

"I made myself Commander, when I won the Conclave." Octavia told her, "As Roan said, we can no longer trust the blood to guide our way to the next Commander. I killed the last natblida, I saved my people from death by Praimfaya, I am the next Commander."

Abby shook her head, "Octavia, you are still one of us, you're still Skaikru. You need to help us!" She pleaded in frustration.

Octavia eyes narrowed as she stepped closer, "I am not Skaikru." She spat angrily, "Skaikru killed Lincoln, Skaikru tried to kill all clans when they selfishly took the bunker for themselves. You are not my people, you are cowards. I have helped you by permitting any of you to remain here at all."

"Because you need us to keep the bunker operational." Abby countered.

Tiredly, Octavia nodded, "I do, but that's not the only reason I didn't throw you all out. I am no murderer. I will not let an entire group of people die for following their leaders because of fear. Now, you need to go back to Skaikru's assigned space, and Abby?" She called, as she turned to head into the side room where she had set up a small cot to sleep on.

The Doctor looked at her questioningly, "Yes?"

"I am not Lexa, I don't have the guilt of loving Clarke but leaving her to the wolves on Mount Weather to make me bow to every desire of Skaikru's. Ultimately it was Skaikru who cost Lexa her life, and I will not allow them to cost me mine, or any of my people's. This is your only warning, keep them in line, don't force me to do it for you."

She was deathly calm as she stared Abby down, until eventually the older woman nodded, knowing that to do anything else would be to invite trouble. "Ok."

"Good, now leave." Octavia told her, disappearing as Abby did the same, heading back out the way she had come.

"What did you do to her?" She asked Indra before she could help herself, "Before you began training her-"

"Before I began training her she was a strong woman, who had the potential to be a great warrior." Indra cut her off impatiently, "And when she was with Lincoln, she had the potential to be the happiest woman alive. Now she has lost him, and still fought on, she understands and knows what it is to be a great Commander. Trust in her and go back to your people, we may all still survive these next long years."

She opened her mouth to speak, but Indra had already turned away, focusing on the corridor in front, and she knew there would be no further discussion. So confused and frustrated, she stomped back down the hall, unsure of what to do next.


	2. Chapter 2

They had known that it was only a matter of time, that sooner or later someone from Skaikru would pick a fight with one of the Grounders and most likely get themselves killed.

But even knowing it was coming, when it happened Kane and Abby were woefully unprepared.

The news travelled quickly through the bunker and the moment they heard it they were in motion, rushing through the corridors in the direction of the central area, which the members of the Grounder clans referred to as the meeting hall.

To the Grounder's credit, the only one fighting was the one in the altercation with the Skaikru man, but the rest of their people who had gathered looked seconds from joining in on the fight, rising tensions a mere moment from bubbling over uncontrollably.

"Em pleni!" Came a clear call, from the balcony over the meeting hall.

Head snapping up, the Grounder dropped to one knee, releasing the shirt front of the man he been about to knock out.

"Heda." The echo went through the room, the people of Skaikru stiffening angrily as they heard the Grounders defer to someone who should be protecting her own people not play-acting queen of the savages.

"What's this about?" Octavia asked firmly, "Ron ai ridiyo op."

The Grounder man rose, pointing at his fallen opponent, "He attacked me Heda, called us murderers for being here whilst members of their clan were left to face Praimfaya."

Shaking her head tiredly, Octavia caught hold of the handrail in front of her, before hopping over it and dropping to the ground. "I understand that you are upset," She started slowly, "I understand that you feel Skaikru should be the only ones here. But you don't get to decide who lives and who dies, through a misplaced sense of privilege. This world owes you nothing! In this world, the strong survive and the weak die. But those without honour are the real enemy."

Someone to the left of Abby scoffed loudly, drawing Octavia's attention, who eyed him coolly, "How can you talk to us about honour? You betrayed your own people and sentenced most of them to die."

Octavia's eyes were cold and calculating, "Skaikru did not win the bunker. I did, I fought and almost died for the right to it. And I decided that everyone would get a shot, all clans would survive, and it was up to them which of their members made it. Skaikru did what it always does, take what they have no right to, what somehow you believe you deserve because you think you're better than everyone else."

Kane shook his head, "Octavia, that's not true!" He protested, stepping forwards.

Octavia caught the arm of her guard, who moved to force Kane back from her, "Really? Then give me one logical argument why every other clan except for Skaikru deserves to die while you live?"

"Octavia, you are one of us." Abby tried softly, "I know you are still hurting because of Lincoln, but Pike didn't speak for our people."

Clenching her jaw in frustration, Octavia turned her back on the doctor, looking at the Skaikru man on the floor where the Grounder had dropped him, "We are the last people on Earth, I can't afford to kill you." She mused thoughtfully, "But equally, I will not let an attack on any of my people go unpunished. So, you can lose half of your food rations for the month, and they will go to the children of the Coalition whose parents are no longer here to care for them."

There was angry stirrings around the edges of the room, but Octavia ignored them, glancing at Abby as she turned towards the door, "I am not one of you, the sooner you accept that, the happier we'll both be."


End file.
